Saturday, July 22, 2006

580 CFRA - News Talk RadioCanadian Contingent Late to Meeting EvacueesJason McIntyreSaturday, July 22, 2006The Blue Dawn has docked in Cyprus, but not without more controversy.A rumour surfaced Friday that the ship, carrying Canadian evacuees from Lebanon, was attacked by at least one Israeli rocket.

The explosion turned out to be a punctured fire extinguisher. No one was injured during the incident.

When the vessel docked in the Cypriot port of Larnaca, no Canadian personnel were present to register the approximately 200 passengers.

According to one report, the officals, who have been sleep-deprived for the past 48 hours, were asleep. The Blue Dawn was ahead of schedule, and the early arrival caught the members off-guard.

The evacuees remained on the ship for about an hour and a half before a team greeted the exhausted nationals.

There is no comment from either the Department of Foreign Affairs or the Prime Minister's office.